Audeze LCD-5 vs Sennheiser HD 600: which needs more amplifier?

The Audeze LCD-5 is 14Ω at 90.0 dB/mW; the Sennheiser HD 600 is 300Ω at 91.8 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The Audeze LCD-5 needs 1.8 dB more than the Sennheiser HD 600 to reach the same loudness — 10 mW against 6.6 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationAudeze LCD-5Sennheiser HD 600
Impedance14 Ω300 Ω
Sensitivity90.0 dB/mW91.8 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)108.5 dB/V97.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB10 mW6.6 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.37 V1.41 V
Current for 100 dB26.7 mA4.7 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.75 Ω37.50 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
274261

Where the two part company

16 of the 280 sources have the power for the Audeze LCD-5 but not for the Sennheiser HD 600 — Apple USB-C dongle (US), JadeAudio JA11, FiiO SnowSky Tiny A, 13 more.

3 of the 280 sources have the power for the Sennheiser HD 600 but not for the Audeze LCD-5 — Tascam US-2x2HR, Roland Rubix22, Roland Rubix44.

24 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Sennheiser HD 600 under the one-eighth rule but not for the Audeze LCD-5 (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 21 more).

258 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Audeze LCD-5 and Sennheiser HD 600. Every figure on this page comes from what Audeze and Sennheiser published, or is derived from it — what Audeze publishes and what Sennheiser publishes, both counted.